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| Photo by Heidi Lähtevänoja |
Interview with Juha Jyrkäs by Dave Wolff (Second interview)
Since I interviewed you about your musical roots and your album “Sydämeni kuusipuulle”, you released more of your work including your new album “Väinämöinen”. Discuss how your musicianship and lyricism has evolved, as well as your approach to recording.
There haven't actually been many releases between “Sydämeni kuusipuulle” and “Väinämöinen”. Only two singles, “Kultapyörä” and “Syntysanat”. They include songs on “Väinämöinen”. The main focus of those singles was only to do marketing before the release of the new full length, so there’s not much to say about them.
I was very tired after the CD release of “Sydämeni kuusipuulle”. I worked like hell to promote the album during 2021. I admit I got exhausted. But it was worth it. The CD sold well and I got some worldwide visibility. The songs were played on metal radio in the United States, UK and Germany. I got interviews in many metal magazines and zines, etc. all over the world. Even in the national newspaper Helsingin Sanomat in my native country of Finland. I should have known I was too tired and wrecked after the year, but still I thought that I just couldn't stop; I had to go forward. Eventually I got my shit together and started to work on the new material.
All the songs on “Väinämöinen” are actually old songs. I've burned my musical channel out, so new riffs aren't just coming anymore. I figured I'd just make an album out of all my old songs that weren’t used or were dropped for one reason or another.
“Voima nousee”, “Syntysanat” and “Äidinmaan puolustus” are songs I made for my short lived Manowar-influenced project, Iskulintu. It was a duo that consisted of me on vocals and electric kantele and Ari Tukiainen on percussion. Iskulintu never went to the studio, but we did a few gigs between 2014 and 2016. We played miscellaneous songs, but also songs I made exclusively for Iskulintu. I took those songs, made a few re-arrangements and wrote the new lyrics.
”Jo veri jokena juoksi” was planned for my extreme metal band, Tevana3. I got the song in a dream in 2016. First I didn't really figure out how to play it, but eventually I got the clue and made a good combination between crust punk and black metal. Tevana3 was dissolved in 2020, since there was no point in continuing with that band, so the song was left out. So I figured I’d use it in “Väinämöinen”. I made the demo version and wrote the new lyrics and basically that was that.
”Helkatulet” and “Ukkosloitsu” were originally written for my folk rock band Poropetra. The early demo from “Ukkosloitsu” was actually made in 2003. It was never published. Of course it sounded different and it was with different lyrics. Back then Poropetra was supposed to be a folk metal band, so the song had more of a metal edge. But after we started to write more folk rock, the song was forgotten. I dug up the original idea, played it with a much faster tempo and added an intro I came up with in 2014, but back then I didn't have the means to use it. Now it all goes very nicely together. I wrote the new lyrics and took some influence from Manowar. They have a song called “Thor the Powerhead” about the Norse god Thor. In a similar vein I drew inspiration from Finnish mythology and wrote new lyrics about the Finnish god of thunder, Ukko, who is also the supreme deity, the high god, in Finnish mythology. “Helkatulet” was one of the last songs written for Poropetra. It was written somewhere around 2008 or 2009. We made the demo sometime in 2012. It was more folk and progressive rock with several ethnic influences. We were making our second album, but as anyone wasn't really interested in pushing the band forward, I decided Poropetra should split up. I used several songs I wrote for the second album for “Sydämeni kuusipuulle” but I left this one out since it didn't fit. Now I tried it with another angle. I changed the arrangements, made it more hard rock oriented and maintained some ethnic vibes. And once again, I wrote new lyrics.
”Kultapyärä” is a full remake one of my first solo songs from 2010. It was from my first solo demo which I don't consider an official release. But since it was good, I maintained it, took it in more of a folk punk direction, with totally new lyrics and vocal arrangements, and it got better. I used traditional lyrics from an old poem collected from Western Finland where I was born. It felt good to sing with my native Western Finnish dialect. I also made a Karelian language version (Kuldupyöröi) which was published in the “Kultapyörä” single with two other songs, “Kuldupyöröi” and “Kling, klang, klockan slår”.
”Metallikantele” is kind of the only “new” song, but it's constructed from old material. There aren’t many riffs in it, and all of them are stuff I played before as I jammed with my kantele at home. I took riffs written in 2004, 2014 and 2017, and placed them together with lyrics born quite naturally. Some of the lines are also old; the oldest is from 2003! I built new ideas around them and I got the idea to make the song about Väinämöinen, the demigod from Finnish mythology. It influenced me so much that I wanted to make the whole album as a concept about Väinämöinen.
The lyrics came together quite easily since I'm more of a writer and author than a musician. In the lyrics I offer hints to Kalevala and Finnish mythology in general, but I created my own version of Väinämöinen. It can also be seen as the new coming of Väinämöinen, since in the old runo-songs Väinämöinen promised to come back. Or it can be seen from the view of a person, who wants to be Väinämöinen. The lyrics have so many inner layers and nuances I want the listeners to have their own visions of them. The lyrics are very personal and, have my heart’s blood on them.
When I did the rough demo and compiled the old songs, I started to hear a symphony orchestra behind every song. Thus I decided that I have to think big. Think bigger. I needed strings, more of an epic, even cinematic soundscape, with keyboards and effects. All the things that would make the album sound more versatile and bigger. I searched for new musicians to work with. I wanted to make a totally different album from “Sydämeni kuusipuulle”. Thus I had to change all the people I worked with on my last album. Luckily I was able to find very nice people. I met Olga Kolari and Henry Kolari. Olga Kolari is a talented musician who can play different kinds of kanteles, keyboards, violins, violas, jouhikkos etc. She’s sort of a “one woman symphony orchestra”. Her husband Henry Kolari is a creative studio wizard who helped me with the soundscapes and effects and did good work in sound engineering and mixing. The album is as much theirs as it is mine. I gave them free range to use their creativity and imagination. This is how the album grew and got the big soundwall and cinematic feeling I was searching for. Janne Väätäinen, the drummer of my former band Tevana3, did a great job on the drums and my friend from my high school years, Antti Röksä, played two guitar solos in carefully selected parts. Finnish critics have always tried to weaken me with their constant nag of how I use my kantele. They say it doesn't differ with using guitar. Now there are guitar solos and different kinds of kantele solos, so people will now have proof that they’re different instruments! These kinds of solutions have always been my ways to fight all the bastards and assholes who try to put me down!
Altogether I'm happy with the new album. It's the best music I've done.
Tell more about how active Iskulintu was. Did this project have the opportunity to release anything? It appears Manowar left an impression on you. What about them proved at least partly influential on your song and lyric writing?
Iskulintu did few gigs at medieval festivals and in bars. Nothing more. No studio, no recordings. It was one of these projects that just comes and goes. Manowar is a very important band for me. It's heavy metal to the core. I like their attitude. They do whatever they want and don't take shit from anyone. For me “Into Glory Ride” is their best album and it truly had an influence in me. I like the unpolished and raw sounds on it. The songs itself are pure gold too. “Hatred” is my favourite!
What were the reasons for the dissolution of Tevana3? Do they still have any demos, EPs, or full lengths available? Anything new with Poropetra lately?
Tevana3 was dissolved in 2020, since we were a studio band and I wanted to concentrate my solo work and playing gigs. We recorded two albums, “Mieron tiellä” (2011) and “Peräpohjolan takana” (2016). You can find both albums at Spotify and Bandcamp.
Poropetra was dissolved even earlier, in 2015. The album “Vahvaa verta” (2021) was a compilation of the album “Sinihirwi” (2007) and the demo “Poropetra” (2004) and four unreleased tracks; everything the band ever recorded. This band is also a closed case.
All my previous bands have fallen for the same reasons. Members weren't as interested in working with the band as much as I was. For them it was just a hobby, side job, project, or a cool thing. I wanted to go all in, make my living and be a success! As it didn't happen with those bands, the flame died out and there was no point to keep on going. That's why I started the solo stuff.
How much effort you put into promoting “Sydämeni kuusipuulle”? Was label support from Earth and Sky Productions available, or did you do all the promoting independently? How satisfying was the notice your album received despite your exhaustion?
I put a big effort in promoting “Sydämeni kuusipuulle”. I sent e-mails to many magazines, zines, blogs, radio stations, websites etc. all over the world. The label Earth And Sky Productions helped me with the South European markets. Of course, most of the job I had to do by myself. I was answering e-mails and giving interviews even in my holiday time! I stayed up nights and promoted my material for getting streams in Spotify and Bandcamp. It was all worth it, since the streaming went big and I got many interviews and good reviews. I got exhausted but I was thinking, “I must go forward in order to succeed”. I started to work with the new album, with everything left over from my previous bands. But I got anxious when someone talked about gigs. At that time I realized I was suffering from a panic disorder. Thus I made the rough decision to stop playing live shows at the end of 2022.
In our first interview we discussed a certain amount of what inspired your lyrics and music. What was the inspiration you felt for “Väinämöinen”?
I wanted to draw musical inspiration out of Basil Poledouris' “Conan the Barbarian” soundtrack, old Moonsorrow, Bathory and old Manowar. Of course I wanted to give all the songs a personal touch and that's why there's so much of a variety in style and approach. I gave relatively free reign to all the musicians who worked with me and they brought their own influences into the mix.
Lyrically I read the original folk poetry that concentrated on Väinämöinen and tossed some spices of my own into the mix. There's lots of self-reflection, some occult themes and very personal themes in it. I don't want to explore the lyrics too much. I want them to stay somewhat mystical.
Have you done any work making promotional videos for “Väinämöinen” as you did for “Sydämeni kuusipuulle”?
This time I wanted to do things differently. I got bored with the expensive music videos some folk metal bands did in 2023. There were huge landscapes and effects, and everything was done with big money. People borrowed from other bands, from cultures of circumpolar peoples to the Vikings TV show (especially hairstyles and face masks) etc. They looked big, but nothing was original and the music was lame shit. I didn't want to be connected to that bullshit. Last time I did music videos for every song; now I did none. Let the music speak for itself. Back to the basics. No eye candy, no bullshit. Just the music.
So is it your view that folk metal videos (and maybe metal videos in general) are becoming less imaginative, with fewer bands attempting to make something original?
It was just the few videos I watched. Of course there were good videos as well. But the fact is that nowadays there's too much music and videos, not just folk metal or metal, but music overall. Most of them are shit. Of course there's good stuff too, but they seem to be rarer as time goes on. I may end up sounding like my own father as I say this: all good and innovative music was already done decades ago.
Currently I'm just very fucked up with all of the music business. It seems more and more difficult to achieve success in this field with music that’s unique. I'm not sure I want to be a part of that world anymore. All the kantele pioneer stuff I've made; what have I gotten from it? Not a single recognition from the Kantele Association in my home country or anywhere else! I've also been misgenred all the time. People can't seem to figure out metal can be made with kantele. Too much negation, too much weakening. But of course it’s frustrating when you’ve made music something for about 27 years without a major breakthrough.
I have a good fight when it comes to matters that are important to me, but now I feel overstretched and tired. I'll do all the promotion work with my album, of course, but after that I have to take some time for myself. I have to decide what the relation is between me and my music.
Were you making any efforts to stand out from other bands the last time you made promotional videos for each song on an album? Do you think that not doing videos for the new album will add to the mystery you're seeking to convey?
Last time it was the Covid-19 pandemic. I released “Sydämeni kuusipuulle” via a small label as a c-cassette edition in late 2019. When 2020 arrived, all the gigs were burned. I was left with nothing. Instead of crying in social media how everything is bullshit, I started to wonder how I can adapt to the situation. If I couldn't promote myself with gigs, could I do it some other way? I ended up doing music videos in a nearby forest. As I'm not an experienced film maker, I just tried to do all the best I can with my poor equipment. The videos got some screen time and became noticed. The Italian label, Earth And Sky Productions, was interested in re-releasing my album “Sydämeni kuusipuulle” as a CD in 2021 because of my videos. Back then I didn't think of music video issues, I just tried to survive in the game.
This time the music has to speak to itself. I want people to really listen to the music. Let them judge it as it is. If they like it, they can buy the album.
Are you actively involved in promoting “Väinämöinen” through podcast interviews as well as fanzines and webzines?
I'll give interviews in any media available; mostly magazines, fanzines and webzines. I’ll only give podcast interviews in my home country, since I can express myself best in my native language.
Do you get a chance to perform live again with the people who worked on “Väinämöinen” with you?
I simply don't have time for it. But if I'd do a gig for some reason, I'd do it definitely with the line-up of Väinämöinen album! It's the first line-up ever that I could work easily and I didn't have any problems. They all did the marvelous work in "Väinämöinen" album!
Is it likely that you’ll continue to record at Art Of Sound studios sometime in the future, considering the work they did on “Väinämöinen”?
I'll do all the unfinished businesses around music, but then I'll concentrate for my career as an author and writer. I'm more known in Finland as a writer. Ten books versus two CD's speaks for itself. In the summertime and fall I'll be in every medieval festivals, conventions, book fairs etc. marketing and selling my books. There the money comes. But if I someday enter the studio again, it'll definitely be the Art of Sound studio!
What work are you planning to tackle as an author?
I'm known in Finland as a fantasy, horror and action writer, and a poet who writes in the old Kalevala-metre. My new book, however, is about the ancient Western Finnish love spells, and how they were used in Western parts of Finland. In literature I've decided to focus more on our old oral poetry and folklore.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juhajyrkas/
Bandcamp: https://juhajyrkas.bandcamp.com/
-Dave Wolff
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